This invention relates generally to rescue devices and, more specifically, to improvements to rescue rings that increase the versatility and the range of a rescue ring. Examples of lightweight rescue rings, which have an aerodynamic shape, can be found in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,562,512 and 8,216,014. My aerodynamic rescue rings have an excellent throwing range and are ideally suited for water rescue since the rescue rings are buoyant and can be hand thrown by an inexperienced person. Typically, a cord, which is secured to the rescue ring, unwinds from a cord reel located in the rescue ring as the rescue ring is thrown to a person in distress. The other end of the cord, which is retained by the thrower or is affixed to structure, allows the thrower to retrieve the rescue ring by pulling on the cord. Consequently, when the rescue ring reaches its destination a person in distress can grasp the rescue ring and be pulled to safety by the cord, which is attached to the rescue ring. On some occasions one may want to retrieve objects other than a person, for example, one may want to bring a boat into dock or to rescue a boat in distress. To pull larger or various types of loads the rescue ring may not have sufficient structural and tensional integrity since the rescue rings are generally made of lightweight materials so that they can be thrown long distances. In other cases it simply may be inconvenient to attach the rescue ring to an object.